You should lodge a complaint with scion corp about the 'tude. They will fix that right away, and reccomend a different dealer in your area.

 

Well, I have an update.

I noticed on the way home from work that the steering wheel looked pretty straight. I was shocked...and 10 minutes after I got home, Scion corporate called to ask about the situation, and told me the dealer claimed that they had fixed the steering wheel problem. I apologized for the confusion, somewhere they forgot to tell me they fixed the wheel and just said they couldn't align it. It never needed an alignment, just the wheel...so I called the service manager and apologized.

Also, I am going to wait until the 11th to get the TSB done, but the body shop manager (who is actually a really nice guy) asked me to wait to lower it so that he doesn't have any issues on the lift, etc....Ohh well.

I have waited months to lower it, what is another 2.5 weeks?

I think I will do the TRD intake and alarm this weekend instead.

 

So I got the Tanabe springs installed today. Used a lift to just hoist the whole car. With the TRD springs the bottom of the xB cleared the life fine. Once the Tanabe springs were on it was a different story. I had to roll out slowly while my friends told me the parts scraping across the lift were insignificant if slightly rubbed. It is notably lower.

 

So how do you like the ride? Better than the TRD's? Post up pics tomorrow (Saturday - no work for you hopefully...)

 

I do have to work and it is DIRTY right now. I will post one anyway if I find time. The ride is fine, a little bumpy, but fine. I think it is about the same as the TRD. I have stock, TRD, and Tanabe pics all from the driveway. It mainly looks lower in the back end...the front isn't too much lower than TRD.

 

Of course it started raining today, the car is very dirty, and I took the picture from the wrong angle (too high)....but here you go.

 

Looks nice.

 

The TRD intake and the RS3200 alarm are installed. I had numerous difficulties, mostly due to other mods I have done. The intake interfered with some of the air horn tubing, the head unit wiring interfered with the alarm harness, the HID wiring and balasts were in the way of the intake tube, etc. Also, I completely destroyed my tire pressure monitor switch.

I had some difficulty with my HIDs at the end though, neither the lows or the fogs worked. I checked fuses, connections, etc... It turns out that I had a double failure. The turn-on lead for the low beams came undone, and the ground wire for the fogs broke. I fixed them all, and now the car is ready to go!

I can't wait to install the suspension stuff...the anticipation is killing me!

 

Thanks for the update! I didn't get anything done this weekend. Now I know to do the TRD intake first, then the HIDs.
W

 

Ok, so about the intake...I had read all these reports about how it was SO LOUD, just obnoxiously loud. I pulled the car around last night, it really didn't sound any different. Well, today I got on it to give it a good test and man...that thing IS really loud! It sounds normal, even at full throttle, until 2500-3000 RPM, but above that, a really deep rumble fills the whole car! It definitely added some power, too.

 

I'm interested to know effects on MPG. Do you keep a detailed record BFM?

 

Nope. Sorry.

 

i get good mpg with my intake and header and all the other stuff. i did i get about 3mpg better then i used to i get about 27 around town and on the highway i get about 32 or more. so yeah

 

Query reTRD CAI: When using cruise control or smoothly cruising at at 75-80 do you still get the loud noise? Or is it only when you put the peddle to the metal? Thanks!

 

you don't hear the intake till you floor it and it is loud nice deep mean tone lets people know you mean business you know.

 

Great! Woo Hoo! Just what the doctor ordered! Can't wait to install it.

 

What's it like (aka how loud is it) at idle and driving around town "normally"? Is the Mrs. going to go postal on me?

What header did you use?

 

It seems to be no louder than stock when just trundling around town like a normal person...but when you floor it, you can HEAR it.

 

well there is only one header out right now i have the strup header

 

Now that the TSB has finally been performed, I could lower my car and not worry about them complaining that the noise is my fault.

Unfortunately, I finished late, didn't have my camera, and was too tired to get some nice pics. I just have a few from my cell phone, and they are terrible:





I will take some nice daytime ones tomorrow.

To review, I installed Hotchkis Swaybars, Eibach Sportline springs, TRD Shocks/struts and the TRD strut bar.

Now, something I was hoping for but never actually expected has come true: the car ride BETTER over small bumps than stock, and of course handles way, WAY better than stock. Over the big stuff, it is bumpier, definitely, but I swear just going down an average road is softer. This is a result of the progressive springs and the TRD shocks and struts. The progressive springs are soft for about 1", and the TRD pieces ride better than stock.

The handling is amazing too, it really feels like a different car. The turn in is great, the tracking is very faithful, and the stability is actually increased despite the stiff rear swaybar. Body roll is almost completely gone. I can corner at higher speeds than every before. All of this is on SNOW TIRES; I cannot wait to reinstall my summer wheels and tires! There really is no way to say too much about the difference. It is incredible!